This recipe is so easy. Pesto is one of our favorite sauces to make because we grow so much basil in our garden. Pesto is perfect in lieu of marinara sauce on pasta or on pizza crust. It’s also great on new potatoes in a salad, drizzled on roasted veggies or as a condiment on a sandwich or panini. So versatile and unbelievably easy to make.

If you’re new to cooking… try this recipe out. Seriously. We also use this as a dip for raw veggies. Plus with no dairy, it’s a great summer bbq recipe idea. I can go on and on… but I won’t. Take the recipe amounts as mere guide. I typically do handfuls versus cups. I do want to share this tip before I get into the specific recipe… when using this as a sauce on pasta, reserve some cooking liquid from the noodles. Once you’ve drained the noodles, add the pesto to toss along with 2-3 tbl of the cooking water to thin the sauce out. That’s it folk. Love you, enjoy!

Happy Friday my friends! Still traveling, sorry for the delay in posting but internet (wifi) in some areas has been pathetic. We’re still in Indiana as my oldest has her final freshman exam this morning and then we head out and make our pilgrimage back to Pennsylvania. It’s been so much fun exploring Detroit and their vegan scene. And of course moving Sydney out of her dorm, taking her friends out to dinner and being with her again makes my heart happy. So I apologize for my absence but these little bites will make up for it! Promise. Easy. Fast. A chocolate punch without refined sugar and junky ingredients.

I made these last week at a girl’s event at Athleta. The girls made these with my supervision… and had so much fun! In fact, several sent me pics of the girls recreating in their own kitchens. They’re chocolatey and decadent without being overtly sweet. Packed with protein and nutrients… these aren’t just a treat but one with a nutritional punch. I hope you enjoy!

A vegan charcuterie board, really? Yes! As spring approaches, gatherings will start to fill the calendar and preparing a charcuterie board is an essential appetizer for gatherings. Traditionally filled with cheese and cured meats, my spin includes plenty of raw and cooked vegetables, nuts and nut-based cheeses. The beautiful thing is that you can prepare ahead of time, fill with what you have on hand and is always well-received by guests who have special dietary needs. And before we begin, charcuterie boards are also a fun meal idea if you’re having a date night in or a movie night with friends – so be flexible in the size of your board you’re planning. Food should be easy, comforting and good for you.

Good morning my friends and happy Monday! Its the beginning of a whole new week so let’s get it started off on the right foot. This smoothie is so good and has been my go-to for the past 2 weeks.

One of the most common concerns when going vegan is of course, where do you get your protein. A great protein powder helps boost post workout along with providing your essential and non essential amino acids, BCAA’s that recovering muscles need. This smoothie is so good and can fool any kid-detective looking for spinach in his/her smoothie. Zucchini blends down to a creamy texture. Plus zucchini has anti-inflammatory properties, high potassium, helps digestion along with being a great source of B vitamins. Plus I find smoothies are easier to digest after a workout so my stomach is happier. I hope you give this recipe a try and report back letting me know what you think. This recipe makes one big smoothie (for me) or two smaller (for kids). Enjoy!

This has been one hell of a week. No joke. I got hit with some weird virus that is like someone is manipulating a crazy voodoo doll of me minute to minute. Every morning I’ve felt good, not great. I’ve been able to cook and prep food for clients and my family. But then by 3 every afternoon… nausea, aches, pains, fatigue hits like a ton of bricks. Then put that record on repeat… So today I’ve managed to eat 2 whole meals and feel decent. May the healthy body gods be shining their light upon me. I’m not a good sick person. However I did manage 14.5 hours of sleep last night (insert shocking face emoji here). Onward & upward.

I am the queen of roasting all the veggies – seriously, all the time. I’ve been using a mixture of ACV and hummus to dress them but have been craving dill lately. So I grabbed some fresh dill at the market Saturday and the gears went into high gear. This is not a Tzatziki but similar type of sauce. I love this on salads in lieu of dressing, adding a drizzle on roasted or raw veggies… my husband was even dipping veggie chips into it. Whatever floats your boat. Super easy recipe and the flavors develop nicely the next day.

Hi there my friends! I wanted to get this post up yesterday but I got hit with a crazy 24 hour flu/craziness & so here I am posting it today. This is one of those recipes that just doesn’t photograph the color as beautifully as it is in real life but this is a must make recipe 🙂 with tons of health benefits.

So if you follow any forms of social media – you’ve seen the onslaught of blue hued foods/drinks/bowls etc. Where do they get that lovely color? Well Blue Majik is the answer. Here is the low-down on this magical powder:

Pop Sugar shares: Derived from spirulina, Blue Majik is a proprietary extract of the blue-green algae Arthrospira platensis. Much like green spirulina, Blue Majik is prized for being nutrient dense; full of vitamins (especially B12), enzymes, and minerals, it gets its bright blue hue from C-phycocyanin, a type of storage protein rich in amino acids. C-phycocyanin is also what puts the blue in Blue Majik and so much of the value in the trendy ingredient. Studies show C-phycocyanin to be rich in antioxidantswith anti-inflammatory properties, and it may promote brain health.

I’ve been experimenting with this blue powder for the past two months. I’ve been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease and anything anti-infammatory is my focus. Plus, it is a powerful pain reliever (natural) which I prefer versus OTC pain relievers. Lastly, this powerful powder does have a strong odor in the bottle however is undetectable in recipes. Seriously. I find this absolutely crazy how it has no flavor but I enjoy it in smoothies, bowls and these bites. Plus that color… is everything.

I’m back friends! We had a lovely holiday in South Beach Miami for a week (albeit humidity bordering a torturous) but so much fun. My oldest wanted a quick trip to a beach and this is where we picked. Tons of wonderful changes down there (I’ve been to South Beach so many times since I was her age) and the vegan scene was top notch. I’m going to be doing a city guide for you all within the next few days. Stay tuned. For now, I’m sharing a new recipe for an adaptogen I’ve been using & this is simply everything.

I’ve been battling some disturbing blood work results for several years. You know the kind that everyone scratches their head and cannot figure out?! I’ve been to several blood specialists and finally have gotten some answers, albeit not what I wanted to hear. My cbc apparently looks like someone receiving aggressive chemo but I’m not. I’m super healthy, never sick and it perplexes every doc I see. I won’t get into the results right now, not ready to share, but I’ve been researching natural, healing foods & this E3Live Blue Majik has been consistently coming up on my radar. With that… I’ve added it to my diet daily and this recipe has become my staple. Let me start with their product description:

Blue Majik is a proprietary, chemical free extract of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina), a Nutrient Dense AquaBotanicalTM. Its stunning blue pigment contains both phycocyanin (PC) and non-PC compounds. This unique combination is not seen in standard Spirulina powder. PC is clinically shown to relieve physical discomfort, which means consumers feel better, can do more activity, and enjoy an overall better quality of life*

Sounds amazing, right? I’ll admit I hate the smell of any Spirulina/green algae and the taste I despise even more. This powder does have a funky smell however it is absolutely flavorless. I’ve been drinking it in water, mixing it in my tofu bowls but this cashew milk… it’s the perfect, easy way to get this superfood into my body. This post is NOT sponsored but something I’m quite passionate about. I hope you check this out. I purchased it from Amazon here.

Well hello there friends & happy almost 4th of July! I hope you have tons of fun plans of being outside at the beach, lake or pool surrounded by your favorite people & of course, awesome food! We have some super fun plans so make sure you follow me on Instagram and my stories.

About two weeks ago my good friend (who lives across the country from me) called and wanted to mix up my diet again. She’s a trainer/registered dietitian & does this sporadically. She kept me super lean post surgery last year so count me in! Oats. I needed to add them back to my breakfast (I intermittent fast so this is normally around 1030 or 11 am) and I have to admit — I’ve missed oats. I always gravitated towards them in the sweltering summer months in prior years & I’m happy again to have these.

Are you excited? Summer is finally upon us. Parties, family gatherings, dining al fresco are all on my mind. I can’t wait for relaxing evenings, foods harvested from my garden and beverages to celebrate a more relaxed vibe for the next several months.

As the temperatures rise, our plates are filled with colorful foods and refreshing beverages. I’ve partnered up with Cavit Collection to pair up a summer recipe along with their light & crisp Pinot Grigio (hello, National Pinot Grigio day this Friday) for that perfect pairing. I love easy recipes, that are quite flexible and can be prepared ahead of time so you can enjoy your family, friends or party go-ers. Along with a wonderful veggie/bean salad, I love to stock up on lighter wines for guests. Featuring one of our favorites, Cavit Pinot Grigio is the perfect, light summer wine. I know wine selection can be quite difficult if you aren’t familiar, but this Pinot is a wonderful option that everyone will love.

Summer has made an impromptu appearance this week with our 90+ degree temperatures. Hotter temps drive me to eating lighter foods. I’ve created many salads like this but it worth an update and share with you all here.

Parties, picnics, brunches and gatherings are all starting and my menu planning is in full swing. This salad is so beautiful. Local farmer’s markets are brimming with rainbow carrots, beets, zucchinis…. pretty much any color veggie that you can slice on a mandoline or with a hand peeler will work in this recipe. It can be prepped a few hours ahead of time and serves up beautifully without concerns of spoiling with the hotter temperatures.

I love pairing up salads like this with some rice or quinoa for a nice dinner idea as well. Leftovers also make a tasty lunch the next day. Hope you’re having a lovely day enjoying the sunshine and warmth. Remember to hydrate!